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tenebraevesper · 11 months

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Up Ladybug, Entry 25: Queen Bee

''Well, there you go again telling me where I belong. You put me on the bench, don't think that I can play strong. So quick to condescend well, you think I'm empty, I'm not. You won't be so confident when I'm crushing you from the top.''

– Dumb Blonde by Avril Lavinge ft. Nicki Minaj

xXxXxXx

Bridgette stretched her arms, being in a great mood as she walked to her school. It was a chilly morning, but the fresh air was just what she needed to wake up properly. Tikki was inside her backpack, still asleep after last night's patrol. The patrol itself had been surprisingly quiet, with no Papillon or Phantom Thief Belladonna causing trouble. While Bridgette wasn't sure what excuse Belladonna had, she had figured that Papillon, or at least the Mime, wouldn't show himself after that fiasco with that charity event fire.

Hopefully we can avoid any kind of trouble in the near future, Bridgette thought as she stopped at a traffic light, not paying attention to the car next to her until the car door suddenly opened and, to her surprise and amazement, Félix got out of it. Bridgette could hear the driver yelling at Félix, but the teenager ignored it, approaching her instead.

''Good morning, Bridgette,'' Félix greeted her with a genuine smile on his lips.

''Good morning, Félix,'' Bridgette responded, still a bit stunned by Félix's sudden appearance. ''Uh, what are you doing here? I-I mean I'm sure you're also on your way to school, but why did you-?''

''I saw you walking past and I thought that we could walk together to school,'' Félix replied in a casual tone, not wanting to admit that he specifically asked Nathan to drive past Bridgette's house in hopes of finding her before school starts. Of course, his designed driver wasn't too happy about it, but Félix didn't care about how he's going to explain this to his uncle.

''R-Really?'' Despite them being officially friends and having started to hang out more and more, Bridgette had to admit that she was still a little surprised with how social Félix has become. At least he was clearly more relaxed in her presence and she was really happy about it. When Félix gave her a slight look of concern, Bridgette quickly added, ''I don't mind that. I'm just surprised that you decided to be so forward about hanging out with me. I thought that was my schtick.''

Félix cracked a rather playful smile. ''You'd be surprised just how persistent I can be when I put my mind into it.''

''So, does this mean that you'd also invite me to have lunch with you?'' Bridgette asked sneakily, her eye-lids lowered as she gave him a knowing smirk.

''Of course. After all, don't I owe you for the times you gave me lunch when I forgot to bring my wallet?'' Félix replied, his tone and expression matching Bridgette's. Despite what they just said, they knew perfectly well that they were just making up excuses for spending more time together and Félix had to admit, he was actually having a lot of fun with it. After realizing, and also kicking himself for not giving her a chance earlier, that Bridgette genuinely cared about him, he wanted to make up for his rudeness and be as transparent with her as possible. At the same time, he found himself enjoying her presence and wanted to interact with her more. Of course, he was also aware that Bridgette still had feelings for him and he knew that getting closer to her might send a wrong message, but he figured that they could have a conversation when the time comes. For now, he just wanted to enjoy the little moments.

''Hey, Bridgette!''

Félix tensed when he heard Claude calling out for Bridgette, the teenager turning around and greeting him. He understood that they were Bridgette's friends and that she'd want to spend time with them, but he had hoped that their time alone would last just a bit longer before classes started. I don't think I can even attribute this to my bad luck.

''I'm surprised to see you here, Agreste,'' Claude said.

''You're surprised to see me at school?'' Félix asked in a deadpan tone, his question causing Bridgette to giggle. Claude exhaled, placing his hands on his hips.

''You know well what I mean,'' he said. The two were silent, with Bridgette observing them as they glared at each other and realizing that this is going to be a long day.

''Hey, hey… How about we get to school? I don't want to be late,'' she said, interlocking arms with both and pulling them forwards.

''Okay, okay, you can go ahead and we'll catch up,'' Claude said, with Bridgette nodding, a bright smile on her expression, and running off when she spotted Sophie. Claude smiled as he observed Bridgette just being her happy and cheerful self, only for the smile to disappear as he felt something cold washing over him when the person next to him spoke.

''I'm not your enemy, Savard,'' Félix said in a matter-of-fact tone, walking away, only to stop when he felt a strange cold sensation washing over him.

''…'' He turned around, seeing Claude just glare at him. ''I don't care whether you are my enemy or not, I will treat you as I see fit.''

''Tch,'' Félix scoffed, only to smirk mischievously. ''You really act like you're Bridgette's older brother. Do you really have to be so protective of her?''

''With guys like you around, I need to do my best to make sure she won't get hurt,'' Claude replied in a cold and aloof tone, with Félix frowning.

''What do you mean 'guys like you'? What are you taking me for?'' he asked, feeling quite irked.

''You're not the social type and you were quite rude towards Bridgette before, but now you want to hang out with her. I think that's really suspicious,'' Claude responded, walking away. Félix fumed, but then quickly joined Claude, walking at the same pace as him.

''So, I'm not allowed to change my opinion in regards to someone?'' Félix said. While he actually wanted to ignore Claude's comments, this one really struck a nerve. He saw Claude frowning, taking this change of mood as a small victory. Two can play this game. However, a moment later, he regretted the whole conversation by simply blurting out very confidently, ''Don't tell me that you're jealous of me becoming close to Bridgette.''

Claude suddenly stopped walking, tilting his head as he gave Félix a questioning look, much to the latter's confusion. ''Agreste, are you planning on pursuing Bridgette romantically?''

''Eh…?'' Félix was shocked by the question, his jaw dropping while a voice in his head screamed at him, What have you done, Neko Boy?! Stop acting like you're Chat Noir, you're not even transformed, you idiot! Okay, okay, act cool! You can do this, just don't show how nervous you are! Félix coughed, clearing his throat while still feeling his anxiety skyrocketing. ''What are you talking about? We're just close friends, that's all.''

Going by Claude's expression, he clearly didn't believe Félix, and Félix knew that. ''If I find out that you've been stringing her along all this time…''

''Calm down, I'm not going to do anything like that,'' Félix responded in a cool and aloof tone, but was still feeling anxious. After all, Claude just confronted him with the real idea of him actually being romantically interested in Bridgette. Sure, he saw her as a close friend, but he wasn't completely sure whether he had any romantic feelings for her. He knew that Bridgette had feelings for him and he was certain that, if he asked her out on a date, she would agree gleefully to it. So, where was the obstacle? It is myself.

Félix just sighed, spotting Bridgette and her friends at the school entrance, but instead of joining them, he stood at the side, observing Bridgette as she happily chatted with Allegra, seemingly oblivious to the curious looks her friends gave to Félix, with Claude being the one outright glaring at him. However, Bridgette wasn't as oblivious as she appeared to be, being slightly worried by the tense silence between her friends and Félix, the latter then stepping up.

''Good morning, everyone,'' Félix greeted them politely, if a bit formally, getting murmurs of 'good morning' in response, with Claude, Sophie, Allegra and Allan casting a questioning look at Bridgette. Sure, Félix did interact with them several times, albeit usually while he was just passing by, and Bridgette even invited him to her home the day before, clearly having a good relationship with him, but none of them were really sure whether he was going to be a permanent member of their friend group. They knew by this point that he was a nice person, even if that niceness was hidden under a wall of ice, but he wasn't exactly the most social person to be around, so things were rather awkward between them.

''Hey, Fé, I'm looking forward to our lunch!'' Bridgette suddenly blurted out, breaking the tense silence and drawing her friends' attention. ''I hope you guys won't mind if me and Fé have some private time.''

''Fé?'' Allegra rose an eyebrow.

''I had told Bri that I'm fine with that nickname. However, only if she's the one who calls me that,'' Félix said, shooting a glare at Allegra. ''After all, everyone else prefers to call me Ice Prince. Am I correct in that regard, Baudelaire?''

''Uh, well…'' Allegra was a little embarrassed to be called out like that. In fact, everyone was shifting anxiously, since they had been using that nickname behind Félix's back since he had arrived here. ''I'm sorry…''

''You can use the Ice Prince if you want to. I don't care about it,'' Félix replied. ''You can also refer to me by my name or surname in a conversation, but I won't tolerate any stupid nicknames.''

''So, Ice Prince isn't a stupid nickname?'' Sophie asked, rising an eyebrow and smirking.

''It is a title,'' Félix responded in a resolute tone.

''How is that a title?'' Sophie gave him a confused look, but before the conversation could continue, they heard the bell ringing.

''I guess you'll have to continue your debate after class is over. Com'n!'' Allan said, with him and the rest of the group walking towards their classroom, while Bridgette and Félix were a bit behind them.

''Are you okay?'' Bridgette asked.

''I might not be popular among your friends, but I can handle myself,'' Félix responded, giving Bridgette a confident smile. In response, Bridgette grinned cheekily and gave him a thumbs up.

xXx

Amber smirked as she stalked the school hallways during break time, observing her fellow students. Interestingly, instead of wearing her usual dress, she was wearing a yellow and black stripped T-shirt, her usual black jacket and white pants. Underneath, however, was her superhero outfit and she tried to find a good moment to reveal herself as Queen Bee. Of course, for that, she needed to first find someone who was performing some kind of crime… which was actually more difficult than she thought. You'd expect that a school filled with a bunch of teenagers would at least have someone who is not following the rules, but to her surprise, she couldn't find anyone doing anything wrong.

Oh, com'n, someone has to have some kind of secret agenda on their mind!

She walked through the hallways, frowning as she gave the other students scrutinizing looks as she searched for the wrongdoers, two of them being Bridgette and Félix who were about to go to lunch together.

''Huh?'' Bridgette blinked in confusion as she spotted Amber hiding around the corner, startling the latter. Instead of a response, Amber just huffed and walked away, while Bridgette and Félix rose an eyebrow. ''Why do I have a bad feelling about this?''

''Let's see – Bourgeois is hiding and stalking other students instead of trying to put herself in the spotlight. She's also being silent about it instead of telling everyone how much better she is. Not to mention, she also looks like she's up to something,'' Félix said, having placed his hand on his chin as he mused, then glanced at Bridgette. ''I think your sixth sense in regards to this is valid.''

''Honestly, I'd love to go to lunch with you but… I just want to see what Amber is up to now,'' Bridgette said, her tone slightly apologetic. Félix shook his head.

''I'll admit, I'm also curious in regards to what Bourgeois is planning to do,'' he replied. Bridgette smirked, nodding.

''Let's go.''

While Bridgette and Félix went searching for her, Amber made her way to the locker room, still annoyed that she couldn't find any wrongdoers, only to spot some guy hitting a locker in frustration.

''Com'n, open up already!'' The guy slammed his palm against the locker, only for it not to budge. Amber's eyes widened in glee as she realized that she may have found a criminal.

He's trying to break into someone else's locker! Now it is my moment to shine!

She quickly ran out of the locker room and into the nearby girl's restroom, quickly taking off her T-shirt, jacket and pants and placing her clothes into her school bag and placed a yellow and black domino mask over her face to fit her hand-made black and yellow jumpsuit. She then returned to the locker room, striking a heroic pose as she approached the guy, who apparently gave up on opening the locker.

''Hold it right there, thief! What do you think you're doing?'' Amber exclaimed, glaring at the would-be culprit who got startled by her sudden appearance.

''Who are you and what's up with the costume? Are you from the theatre club?'' he asked.

''Ha, as if! I'm the new superhero of Paris, Queen Bee!'' Queen Bee responded, striking a few dramatic poses before pointing at the student. ''I have caught you completely red-handed!''

''Red-handed- What are you talking about?'' the guy asked, completely confused. Queen Bee stepped forward, pointing her finger at him.

''You've been trying to break into another student's locker to steal their stuff, but I'll be the one to apprehend you!'' she said in an accusatory tone. The student just gave her an annoyed look.

''I don't know what you're talk about. That's my locker,'' he replied.

''Then why are you trying to break into it if it is your locker? Unless, you don't know the combination because it isn't!'' Queen Bee responded, grinning. The student rolled his eyes.

''Look, these lockers are older than dinosaurs and will get stuck,'' he said, shaking his head as he was about to walk away. ''I'm getting the janitor to sort this out.''

''Oh, no you won't until you admit that you were trying to break into the locker!'' Queen Bee stepped in front of him.

''Leave me alone, weirdo!'' the student yelled at her, neither him nor Queen Bee noticing that Bridgette and Félix were hiding at the entrance to the locker room, not looking impressed by what Amber was up to as Queen Bee.

''It looks like your gut feeling was correct,'' Félix said, with Bridgette smiling.

''I had been dealing with Amber for a while. I know that when she gets up to something, she will cause trouble for everyone else,'' she replied.

''So, what's your plan?'' Félix asked curiously.

''Let's get her before she angers the wrong person and question her about what is going on,'' Bridgette said. Félix nodded, with both of them getting out of their hiding spot, interlocking arms with a startled Queen Bee and dragging her into another corner of the locker room, while the other student just shook his head in disbelief and walked away.

''Ugh, let me go! Don't you know who I am?'' Queen Bee glared at Bridgette and Félix as they cornered her. Bridgette sighed in exasperation.

''Amber, what are you doing and what is up with that costume?'' she asked.

''First of all, I'm not Amber, I'm Queen Bee! I have no idea who this Amber person is, but I assume that she is great!'' Queen Bee said proudly, only to realize that Bridgette and Félix weren't buying any of it. ''In any case, I will be the one joining the ranks of superheroes as Ladybug and Chat Noir's new ally.''

''What?'' Bridgette and Félix blurted out simultaneously, both stunned by Queen Bee's declaration. Queen Bee just rolled her eyes as she realized she wouldn't be getting any recognition from these two. She then sighed.

''Listen up, I really admire both Ladybug and Chat Noir and I'm sure that they would appreciate more help on their fights against weirdos in costumes. I don't need your criticism regarding that,'' Queen Bee told the two.

''Bourgeois, do you even have any superpowers to help you fight effectively against those super villains?'' Félix asked, with Queen Bee freezing on the spot, feeling anxious. ''I thought so.''

''Amber, I understand that you want to be like your favorite heroes, but think about it for a moment. As Félix said, you don't have any superpowers, meaning you'll put yourself in danger for no reason and be a liability to Ladybug and Chat Noir,'' Bridgette said. Queen Bee fumed.

''Ha, what do you know?! It's not like you two are Ladybug and Chat Noir!'' she ranted, not noticing that Bridgette and Félix tensed for a moment. ''I'm sure they'll accept me the way I am, no matter if I have any superpowers. I am Queen Bee and I'll be the best superhero ever!''

With that said, she stomped out of the locker room, with Bridgette and Félix feeling second-hand embarrassment from this interaction, with Félix quipping, ''She's delusional.''

''She'll put herself unnecessarily in danger,'' Bridgette added. ''We know what kind of villains Ladybug and Chat Noir are dealing with and the Mime basically blew up a building a couple of nights ago. She'll be brought back in a body bag if she tries to do actual superhero stuff.''

''While true, it's not like we can change her mind. She is convinced that she's a superhero now,'' Félix pointed out. Bridgette fell silent, musing.

''Yeah, you're right. If only Ladybug and/or Chat Noir were here, I'm sure they would convince her to drop the hero act and maybe knock some sense into her. I doubt that either of the would want a civilian to fight super villains,'' Bridgette said, a plan already forming in her head.

''That makes sense, since she admires those two so much. If either of us spots any of them, we'll let them know,'' Félix said in agreement, a plan already forming in his head.

Both actually thought of transforming and confronting Amber/Queen Bee about her ideas and convince her to stop putting herself into danger before anything serious happens. They didn't want her to become Papillon's target, especially since they believed that he was capable of much worse things and the last thing they needed was blood on their hands. However, they realized that there was one issue with this.

''Uh… about lunch…'' Bridgette started slowly, with Félix realizing that he actually forgot that they had plans to spend time together. However, with the current situation, he felt that it would be smarter to deal with Amber/Queen Bee first.

''Right, lunch…'' Félix trailed off, with both of them being silent for a moment, feeling rather awkward. Bridgette scratched her cheek, laughing nervously.

''I-I just remembered that there was something I still needed to do…'' she started, with Félix raising an eyebrow, not really sure how what to make of it, but then he realized that this was the perfect opportunity to complete his plan.

''Now that you mention it, I forgot that I also have something to do, so maybe we can postpone it, if that's okay with you?'' Félix asked. Bridgette nodded, hardly believing that she managed to get away with her awful excuse as she wanted to deal with Amber as soon as possible.

''I have no problem with that,'' Bridgette replied, running off. ''See you later!''

Félix watched her leave, then sighed, with Plagg popping his head out, seemingly knowing what was going through Félix's head. ''This was easy. Too easy, if you ask me.''

''Whether Bridgette really has something to do or she has a way to contact Ladybug, I don't think it matters now. I need to make sure that Bourgeois doesn't kill herself by confronting the wrong person,'' Félix replied.

''I didn't expect that you'd care that much about Amber,'' Plagg said, giving him an intrigued look.

''I don't, but her antics won't help us in our fight against Papillon. I'm nipping this in the bud,'' Félix told him, rushing off to find a secluded spot to transform.

xXx

''Okay, I think we're safe here,'' Bridgette said, having managed to climb onto the flat rooftop of the school building through a window and crouching down without being seen. Clearly, she couldn't transform in the girl's restroom as someone would obviously notice her or the school cameras would take footage of her going inside as Bridgette and coming out as Ladybug. However, she had learned from other students that some would take advantage of the flat rooftop to sneak from one classroom to another without being detected. Tikki flew out of her backpack, giving her a look of concern.

''Are you sure that Félix didn't suspect anything? He accepted your excuse a bit too readily,'' she said.

''I know, but I have other things on mind. If he brings it up, I'll come up with some explanation, but for now, I need to deal with Amber before she gets herself into danger. It is one thing for her to play superhero at school, but imagine if she tried this stunt while dealing with an actual criminal. I may not like Amber and she always bullied me, but I'm not going to let her hurt herself. Tikki, transform me!''

There was a flash of red, with Ladybug getting up and, after making sure that her backpack was securely tucked into the corner of the school rooftop, quickly made her way to the school yard where she spotted Queen Bee grilling another student over stolen lunch or something like that. Ladybug groaned in exasperation, only to be alerted by Chat Noir who appeared right next to her.

''Hey, Bug, what are you doing here?'' he asked, giving her a curious look.

''Let's just say that I caught wind of Amber Bourgeois causing trouble. What about you?'' Ladybug asked, with Chat Noir giving her a nervous look.

''Ehh, same?'' he said, shrugging and trying to act nonchalant. Both stared at each other for a moment, as if expecting for this conversation to continue, but decided against it and focused back on Queen Bee.

''Dude, could you just leave us alone?'' the student she was harassing said.

''Not until I get some evidence that you were up to- agh!'' Before Queen Bee could finish her sentence, a yo-yo wrapped around her body and she was whisked away. She screamed as she flew through the air, only to be caught in someone's arms, who leapt from building to building, her eyes closed as she struggled. ''H-Hey, what's the big idea?! Let me go! Do you know who I am?! I will sue you for kidnapping me!''

''Amber, we have to talk.''

Queen Bee suddenly opened her eyes, staring in shock at Ladybug, who was carrying her bridal-style, and Chat Noir, who was standing next to them, his arms folded across his chest. They were standing on a building further away from their school, where they had more privacy. Both superheroes were startled when Queen Bee suddenly let out a high-pitched cry, her eyes turning into stars.

''Ladybug! I'm so happy to see you!'' she said gleefully, leaping out of Ladybug's arms on to grab her hands and hold them. ''I was hoping for you to show up so I could talk to you about being a superhero! Look, I even got the costume and weapon!'' Queen Bee showed off her trompo joyfully and completely oblivious to the looks of disapproval Ladybug and Chat Noir were giving her. ''You won't mind if a duo becomes a trio, right?''

''Amber, listen…'' Ladybug started but got interrupted by Queen Bee, who placed her palm in front of Ladybug's face to stop her.

''My superhero name is Queen Bee and I'd rather that you call me that from now on since we superheros need to keep our identities a secret, right?'' Queen Bee said, smiling. ''Now, what's the issue? Is there any super villain running around and causing chaos? Is that why you brought me here?''

''No, we brought you here for a different reason.'' Ladybug shook her head, her eyes narrowing. ''Amber, whatever you're doing as Queen Bee, you need to stop with it. You're putting yourself and others in danger.''

''Wh-What?!'' Queen Bee was shocked to hear that from a person she genuinely admired. ''B-But…''

''You don't have any special powers and you're just a civilian in a costume who is drawing too much attention to herself. You had already been targeted by the Mime once because you're the mayor's daughter. Don't you think that he might do the same again?'' Chat Noir added.

''Maybe, but you're here and you can defeat him again!'' Queen Bee protested.

''Yeah, we can, but that doesn't mean that we're available 24/7. We have our own lives to lead and we don't want the spotlight on us. We have chosen to fight people like the Mime and Monsieur Pigeon with the powers we have because we want to do what is right,'' Ladybug said, not noticing Chat Noir wincing at the 'we have chosen to fight' bit. He didn't choose anything.

''Right. Have you seen either of us just strolling around in broad daylight and accusing innocent people of comitting crime?'' Chat Noir asked, sounding slightly bitter. Queen Bee's cheeks flushed red in embarrassment and it dawned her that her plan wasn't exactly the best or the smartest.

''I-I was just trying my hardest to p-prove myself as a superhero,'' she pleaded, utterly mortified by the look of disappointment Ladybug and Chat Noir were giving her. ''I-I hoped that you'd notice me…''

''I did notice you, and I'm not happy. If you thought that being a hero is about glitz and glamour, then I have to disappoint-''

''I don't care about that!'' Queen Bee suddenly screamed at Ladybug, startling both her and Chat Noir. ''I-I just thought-'' She shook her head, feeling chills flowing down her spine as she recalled all the times her own mother called her unremarkable and unexceptional, not caring about how Amber felt being treated like trash by the person who was supposed to love and care about her unconditionally. Tears started forming in the corners of her eyes as she took her domino mask off. ''I-I don't want to talk to you anymore- I hate you! You're the worst! You- You're ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!''

Ladybug and Chat Noir had to admit that, while neither of them was personally fond off Amber, they still felt pity for her. It was obvious that she had some deep issues and insecurities, but neither of them could really help her unless she was willing to open up about them.

''I want to get off this building. Right now!'' Amber growled, tears still streaming down her face as she turned to Chat Noir. Her vision of Ladybug was already shattered and the pedestal she put her favorite superhero was completely broken. She was done with her.

Chat Noir glanced at Ladybug, who nodded in silence, then picked Amber up and carried her towards the school, leaving her at the back entrance before rejoining Ladybug at the school rooftop. Ladybug sighed as he sat down next to her, looking somber.

''Are you okay?'' Chat Noir asked, with Ladybug just lowering her gaze. ''You know that we did the right thing.''

''Yeah, I do. It's just… I feel mentally exhausted after having to deal with Amber,'' Ladybug replied. ''I don't think she's just angry that she couldn't be a superhero. I'm sure she had another motive there.''

''Maybe she's looking for some kind of approval,'' Chat Noir suggested, with Ladybug giving her a curious look. ''She certainly sounded as if she wasn't getting the attention she wanted.''

''Yeah…'' Ladybug trailed off. She really had mixed feelings in regards to Amber, remembering all the times she had been bullied, with Amber either stealing her stuff or destroying her sketchbooks or calling her names, but lately? She sort of… let go off that. Perhaps it was that she was too busy balancing her life as Ladybug and Bridgette, dealing with her feelings for Félix and having to fight Papillon's henchmen, to even notice whether Amber was bullying her or not. Hell, when was the last time she did anything? Oh, sure, Amber stole her sketchbook and dumped it into a trash can, but beside that, what else did happen? She honestly couldn't remember.

''In the end, I don't think it really matters,'' Chat Noir suddenly said, drawing Ladybug's attention. ''We needed to have this talk with her for her own sake. We don't know what is going on in her civilian life, but we can make sure that nothing happens to her while we're superheroes.''

''You're right,'' Ladybug responded, only for her and Chat Noir to hear the school bell ring for the afternoon classes. Both looked suddenly nervous, exchanging glances with each other.

''Eh, I-I should…''

''Go? Y-Yeah, me too… Uh, see you-''

''At patrol? Yes!''

Ladybug and Chat Noir quickly rushed away to de-transform, their lunch plans with Félix and Bridgette falling through respectively. They really had no luck today.

xXx

Amber puffed up her cheeks, opting to just walk around aimlessly through Paris, still dressed in her Queen Bee costume under her regular outfit. She payed absolutely no attention at school and was just waiting for the classes to end, opting to just roam through the city instead of going straight home. She was completely dispirited, if not even depressed and felt like she couldn't do anything. The person she admired the most had just rejected her and she had no clue how to move on from this. She couldn't understand why Ladybug had to shatter her dreams so cruelly, but at the same time, she was well aware that she had no powers that could help her fight any villains. Unfortunately for her, Ladybug and Chat Noir were correct, but she refused to acknowledge that. She wanted to be a superhero, just like they were, and she wanted their recognition, that she was capable of more than any of them would assume. However, it was obvious that none of her desires would be fulfilled.

I should've known… I cannot expect anything…

Amber suddenly heard a crash from further down the street, being startled at first, but then ran towards it. To her surprise, she spotted the Mime robbing a closed jewelry store. She hid behind a car, feeling her heart beating rapidly as she realized just how real this situation was.

I managed to find a super villain! And it's that Mime guy! Uhhh, what do I do?! Amber felt herself panicking, only to slap herself lightly with both hands on the cheeks to focus more properly. Ladybug and Chat Noir usually patrol through Paris, right? If I keep stalling him, they will eventually come across us and kick this guy's ass. She fist-pumped, now determined to follow through with her plan. Right, you can do this! You are Queen Bee! You can also be a hero if you put your mind into it!

Quickly taking off her regular outfit and putting her domino mask on, Queen Bee climbed up on the car she was hiding behind and struck a heroic pose.

''Hey, you! Stop!'' The Mime looked up, rising an eyebrow at the teenager in a yellow and black jumpsuit and domino mask standing on top of a car that was parked on the street. ''I, Queen Bee, order you to stop with your criminal activity and surrender!''

The Mime just smirked as he looked at her, dropping the bag he was holding and curling his fingers around an invisible handle. Queen Bee gulped when she realized that the handle belonged to an invisible hammer, with the Mime suddenly running towards her. She managed to jump off the car and land safely on the ground, but to her shock, the Mime left quite a deep dent in the car roof. She realized that, had he hit her, her skull would've been nothing but flesh, blood and broken bones.

The Mime turned around towards her and kept swinging the huge hammer, leaving cracks in the walls of the street and Queen Bee quickly dodged them, using her gymnastics skills. However, she knew that she was in trouble, as she had no way to fight back. Even without his superpowers, the Mime was still an adult man, much bigger and heavier than her. The only thing she could do was to pray that someone would notice them and call the authorities, or even better, Ladybug and Chat Noir.

But, I told her that I hated her. Would she even want to save me?

Queen Bee froze as that thought crossed her mind, giving the Mime and opportunity to swing once again at her, leaving her unable to dodge the attack. However, before the hammer fell, a yo-yo wrapped around his arm, pulling him back. The Mime turned around, only to get punched square in the face by Chat Noir, knocking him down.

''Ladybug! Chat Noir!'' Queen Bee never felt so grateful to see these two. Despite all the mean stuff she had told them, they still would appear to help her and she felt safe around them. Ladybug leapt down, grabbing her hand and dragging her around a corner.

''What are you doing here? It's dangerous!'' Ladybug scolded her, with Queen Bee feeling a sting in her chest.

''I just happened to ran across that Mime guy! I didn't do it on purpose!'' Queen Bee snapped back, with Ladybug sighing in response.

''Okay, just stay here and stay safe. I don't want the Mime to hurt you,'' Ladybug told her.

Queen Bee noded, with Ladybug then rejoining Chat Noir in the battle against the Mime. She then kept observing the two as they fought the Mime, with Chat Noir using Black Hole to trap him, only for the Mime to mime a rocket launcher and fire it point-blank at the black cat superhero. Ladybug used her yo-yo to wrap it around the invisible rocket launcher, forcing Mime to fire it somewhere else, only for him to direct it towards her. Chat Noir managed to rush towards Ladybug in time, using his Black Hole to shield her from the explosion, but it was a little too late and both were knocked back, hitting the building behind them.

Queen Bee gasped as the Mime made his way over to them, forming what appeared to be a gun in his hands and pointing it straight towards Ladybug. Fortunately, she was still awake, but struggling to get up and the fact that an invisible gun was being held in front of her face didn't help. Queen Bee's expression changed from shock to a determined look, as she knew that she was the only one who could do something.

''Hey!'' Grabbing the trompo that was on a string around her waist, Queen Bee spun it, throwing it straight at Mime and nailed him right in the head. This was enough of a distraction for Ladybug to kick the gun out of Mime's hands and transform her yo-yo into a staff to hit him directly in the gut. Chat Noir also managed to get up, firing a point-blank Black Storm at the Mime, who was knocked back, hitting a car.

''Thanks Queen Bee!'' Ladybug said, briefly turning to her before she and Chat Noir faced the Mime. Queen Bee swelled with pride, observing the two as they landed hit after hit on the super villain, only for the Mime to realize that this was a losing fight and quickly left after throwing a smoke bomb at them. Once the smoke settled, he was nowhere to be found.

''Not again…'' Ladybug muttered. ''I thought we had him this time.''

''Better luck next time, I guess,'' Chat Noir responded, shrugging. Both then turned around towards Queen Bee, who felt a little awkward as they stared at each other in silence.

''Amber…''

''I'm sorry for getting myself into danger,'' Queen Bee apologized sincerely, much to Ladybug's surprise. She honestly never heard Amber talk to her like this, being so vulnerable instead of condescending. ''You were right, I'm not cut for this superhero thing. I don't have any powers or abilities to protect myself and I would've died if it weren't for you two.''

''Why do you want so desperately to be a superhero?'' Ladybug asked. Queen Bee was silent, filddling with her trompo she had picked up nervously, before giving Ladybug a serious look.

''Can I trust you two with something very personal?'' she asked, with Ladybug giving her a curious look.

''Sure you can. I promise you I won't tell anyone,'' Ladybug said in an assuring tone, then glanced at Chat Noir.

''I don't really see any reason to share any personal secrets with anyone,'' he replied. Queen Bee took a deep breath.

''I… I wanted to be a superhero to feel special, because everyone else tell me that I'm not,'' she admitted. Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged glances of surprise, not expecting the conversation to steer in this way.

''Who is telling you that?'' Ladybug asked.

''Mainly, my own mother!'' Queen Bee responded, before going into a rant as she walked up-down in front of the two, throwing her hands up animatedly. ''I tried everything to please her and make her proud of me, but he's always telling me how unexceptional I am! Can you believe that? Me, unexceptional? She is so condescending! It's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!'' Queen Bee didn't notice the side-glances Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged as she continued, ''That's why I went to you two, because I had been hoping that, if anyone is going to give me the recognition I deserve, it'll be you two… especially you Ladybug.''

''I understand now that you've been craving for some kind of recognition, but I don't think that throwing yourself into danger is the answer,'' Ladybug said. Queen Bee lowered her gaze, feeling guilty.

''Yeah, you're right,'' she said.

''What about your classmates? From what we've heard, they don't like you particularly,'' Chat Noir said, his arms folded across his chest, his tail flicking as he gave Queen Bee a knowing look.

''Well, they just don't get it how amazing I am!'' Queen Bee responded in a haughty tone.

''Or they know that you're just a bully and don't want do have anything to do with you,'' Ladybug said, with Queen Bee, despite trying to keep her calm, looking quite mortified that her favorite superhero was calling her a bully. Chat Noir gave Ladybug a curious look, wondering if she was talking from experience, but he didn't follow up on it.

''Uh, well, I… Well, they deserved it, especially Cheng,'' Queen Bee replied spitefully. ''The other day she bragged about how her mother is such a great parent because she was going to visit her and spend time with her. It's not fair!''

Chat Noir frowned, glaring daggers at Queen Bee for daring to insult Bridgette like this, but to his surprise, Ladybug smirked knowingly, ''Was she rubbing it in your face? Does she even know what your family situation is?''

''N-No…'' Queen Bee admitted, feeling a wave of embarrassment, amazed that Ladybug was reading her like an open book. To her surprise, Ladybug placed a hand on her shoulder, with Queen Bee giving her a nervous look.

''Okay, I'd like to give you some important advice, as one superhero to another,'' Ladybug started, winking at Queen Bee, who was actually ecstatic that Ladybug addressed her as a fellow superhero. ''Instead of seeking other people's approval of whether you're exceptional or not, you should ask yourself if you see yourself like that. Because you actually did show quite some courage tonight by hitting the Mime with that spinning top and you also saved my life in the process.''

''It is a trompo and I did practice for days with it, so I have learned how to use it as a weapon,'' Queen Bee said proudly, noting Ladybug's questioning look. She lowered her gaze, fiddling with the trompo. ''I suppose I have a lot to think about. However, I think that Queen Bee should retire.''

''Maybe she doesn't have to,'' Ladybug said, much to Queen Bee and Chat Noir's surprise. ''Look, you aren't going to fight any super villains, but you could still act as our support system.''

''Are you sure about that, Bug?'' Chat Noir asked in a skeptical tone.

''Yeah, I have to agree with Cat Boy here, because I'm not sure how to do that,'' Queen Bee said in a deadpan tone. Ladybug stuck her tongue out playfully, winking at them.

''Well, the public seems to be split on whether we're the good guys or the bad guys, and having someone who would be able to influence the public opinion so we could do our job without any interference would be nice,'' she said, shrugging with her arms up. ''Neither I nor Chat Noir are that fond of cameras, but someone who'd love the attention would certainly thrive in the spotlight.''

''Ladybug, I don't think-'' Chat Noir started, only to get interrupted by Queen Bee.

''I like the way you're thinking,'' she said, grinning, only to fist-pump. ''As a matter of fact, I already have an idea what I could do to help you.''

''What is it?'' Ladybug asked.

''Don't worry, I'm sure you'll see it once I'm done with it,'' Queen Bee told her confidently, snapping her fingers.

xXx

''Welcome to the Queen Bee's Hive! Hosted by yours truly, Amber Bourgeois! In this blog, you will learn about Paris' treasured superheroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, and how they're doing their best to defend the city from super villains!''

''Honestly, I didn't expect that this would be Amber's idea of support,'' Bridgette told Tikki as they watched Amber's livestream on her new blog in Bridgette's room. The livestream itself was filmed by Amber on the roof of the hotel she lived at. ''But, I guess this might give her the recognition she desperately seeks. I just hope she won't get a swollen head.''

''Do you really think it's a good idea for Amber to host a blog about you and Chat Noir? What if she reveals any important secrets about you two?'' Tikki asked. The two went silent for a moment when Amber started reading some of the questions sent by the chat box.

'''Do you know Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities?' What? Of course not! The heroes' identities are a secret for a reason. Has none of you read any comic books about superheroes? How else would they lead a normal life if everyone knows who they are?'' Amber responded, scoffing. ''Tch, what kind of stupid question is that?''

''Yeah, I think we can trust her,'' Bridgette said, smiling, with Tikki giggling as they continued to watch the livestream.

xXx

''…will talk about how amazing Ladybug is!... and Chat Noir as well.''

''…I feel as if she has just tacked me on,'' Félix grumbled as he watched the livestream on his computer in his bedroom.

''Face it Neko Boy, she did tack you on. Amber favours Ladybug over you,'' Plagg replied, taking a bite off his cheese.

''You really are merciless,'' Félix said, cracking a smile and turning back to the screen, only for Plagg to fly up to him.

''So, when are you going to ask Ladybug about somehow learning what Amber was up to? Don't you think that this must mean that you're both going to the same school? Maybe even the same class?'' he asked.

''I'm not going to ask these kinds of questions,'' Félix replied in a cold tone. Plagg gave him a look of surprise, his eyes narrowing.

''What do you mean? Haven't you tried to figure out who is Ladybug in order to get her to free you from your curse?'' he asked. ''What has changed?''

''Nothing has changed,'' Félix grumbled, leaning his head against his hand, his eyes closed. Plagg tilted his head, a little confused and suspicious. Félix sighed, glancing at the cat kwami. ''I do have a plan, but I need think through this.''

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